STORY: ER DENTAL CARE

SCRIPT #526 SHOOT: 9/10/03

AIRDATE: Monday, Oct. 6, 2003

Daybreak and Midday

DHC #18 Timecode: 27:25 What do you do when you have a

dental emergency? Do you go to

the nearest hospital? Or should you

call your dentist?

Dr. Linda Niessen offers some

answers that may surprise you

in today’s segment of Dental

SOVT: 1:50 Health Check.

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WALKING INTO HOSPITAL (VOICE-OVER)

SUPER: Richardson :02-07

Every year, thousands of children

break or dislodge their teeth.

AUSTIN BEING EXAMINED That is what happened to 8 year old

Austin Bashaw, whose permanent front

teeth were damaged in a home

accident.

SUPER: Voice of Tony Bashaw (“Running around the house and he

Austin’s Father :16-22 had a collision with his brother, planting

his brand new front teeth into the

forehead of one of his little brothers.

Dislocation where they pushed in and

were pointing toward the back of the

throat.”)

SUPER: Dr. Elizabeth Fagan (“We are really lucky because we

ER Physician :27-32 have a dentist on staff who will allow

us to call 24/7, doesn’t mind if we

bounce things off of her and is always

willing to come in especially for all our children.”)

DR. FAGAN WITH AUSTIN Dr. Elizabeth Fagan of Richardson

Regional Medical Center calls in

a staff dentist when a patient’s tooth

appears to be in jeopardy.

DR. FAGAN (“an ER nurse actually for 13 years

before she went back to dental school.”)

DR. PAM MOORE IN HOSPITAL Enter Dr. Pam Moore, a former

ER nurse who now practices

dentistry.

SUPER: Dr. Pam Moore (“By working all those years, I

Dentist :54-59 saw patients in crisis with dental

emergencies and saw the frustration

that even if they had a dentist, the

dentist not having hospital privileges

and not being able to come in and

take care of them in this setting.”)

MORE OF DR. MOORE Most hospitals do not have a staff dentist who responds to emergencies

at night or on weekends. Call the

hospital ER before you show up.

DR. ELIZABETH FAGAN (“Because there are so many areas

that don’t have coverage or back-up

for dental emergencies.”)

DR. MOORE WITH AUSTIN AT ER If an emergency occurs during

office hours, go directly to your

dentist. After hours, try to

reach the dentist by phone. Avoid

the hospital ER if the dentist will

see you immediately at the office.

ON CAMERA (STAND-UP CLOSE)

SUPER: Dr. Linda Niessen Dentists are the best doctors

Baylor College of Dentistry to handle a dental emergeny. So

1:33-1:38 when possible, your first phone call

should be to the dental office. But

to do that, you already must have

a relationship with a dentist who

can treat all your dental problems including an emergency. For

Baylor College of Dentistry, Texas

A & M System, I’m Dr. Linda Niessen,

Channel 8 News.